Coffee With The Lord

Perhaps just a lot of things have happened that have left you feeling intimidated, unsure of yourself (or your relationship with a loving God), incapable, or unsure of yourself.  There has been one problem after another, difficulties that have piled up, and more than a few failures… Your faith is faltering, your prayers seem to go nowhere, and you’ve even wondered about the power and faithfulness of God!

What to do?  Well, may I suggest that you read and prayerfully reflect upon Isaiah 40:12-31!  I did this morning – and I’m convinced it is probably just the Spiritual tonic you need!  I can’t post it all (you’ll have to read it for yourself to get that… but here’s just a sample – a taste of its truth…

“To whom can you compare God?

“’To whom will you compare me [God asks] Who is my equal?’ asks the Holy One.

“How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God ignores your rights?  Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding.  He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength! They will soar high on wings like eagles! They will run and not grow weary! They will walk and not faint!” (Taken from Isaiah 40:12-31 New Living Translation)

Listen!  The Lord has no equal!  He sees!  He knows!  He is able!  He is faithful!  Take heart!!!  (Com’on – read the whole passage!  You’ll be glad you did!)

When we’re trying to live for God and things don’t go right… In fact, when everything seems to be going wrong… When we’ve experienced one disaster after another… When our lives are filled with pain… When dear friends criticize us (and even abandon us) and offer nothing but trite answers… When our prayers don’t seem to be heard, and heaven seems like “brass”… When we’re so frustrated we’ve got a few things we’d like to tell the Lord and we’re tempted to criticize the way He does things or what he allows to happen in our lives…

Perhaps it is then that we need to hear God speak to us as He did Job in the Bible…

“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty… Do you want to be God’s critic? Do you think you have the answers?”

But then we probably need to respond as Job did to that challenge…

“Then Job replied to the Lord… “I am nothing! I don’t have the answers! I will cover my mouth with my hand! I have said too much already! I have nothing more to say!” (From Job 40:1-5 NLT)

It’s perhaps then, that we’re ready to hear the voice of a loving Heavenly Father… we’re ready to listen, to trust, and to allow God to work out His Divine purposes… After all Scripture declares, “God causes ALL THINGS to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose…” and “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love!” (Romans 8:28 & 38 NLT)

Hey, it worked for Job! “The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even MORE than in the beginning!” (Job 42:10-17) Oh Lord, help me trust you through the good and the bad – through prosperity and pain – when what I’m experiencing makes sense, but also when I have to cling tenaciously to your good promises and purposes for my life!

Forgive me, but when I read Matthew 11:25-27 in the Bible during my time of “coffee with the Lord” today, a scene popped into my mind…

I saw what looked like a “game show” setting with a number of contestants all vying for “Divine Revelation” – the revelation of God himself within their lives…

There were the wise, the highly educated, the rich, the famous, the influential, the proud and the self-sufficient… all expecting to gain “the revelation of God!” (Most of them felt deserving and adequate to receive “the secret of the ages” – a personal revelation of God Himself)!

And Jesus Christ, the host in this competitive setting, declared with deliberate and cosmic authority (in fact I almost heard an introductory drumroll and a heavenly trumpet fanfare)… “And the “Revelation” goes to… (and here are the verses from Scripture that provoked this scene in my mind)…

“O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:25-27 NLT)

Just let that sink in a bit… The “cosmic secret of the universe” – a “revelation” of the Living God – isn’t given to those who feel deserving – the proud, self-sufficient, influential, wealthy, or possessing only human wisdom! It is given to the humble, the believing, the simple, even those who are childlike in faith!

Quite a powerful picture this morning Lord! Quite a powerful picture!